Thus far, Jerusalem, or the prophet speaking on behalf of the people, has expressed this. Then, God is depicted as responding to Jerusalem. "O Jerusalem, the days are coming when your walls, previously laid waste by the ravager Babylon, will be rebuilt. On that day, the law shall be distant," referring to a decree, as interpreted by Simmachus and Theodotion, indicating you shall no longer be subjected to Babylonian dominion. When your defenses are restored, aid will come to you from Assyria and from fortified cities; from the areas beyond, even up to the Jordan, through which the people have crossed before, and from the Red Sea, and from all nations to the Dead Sea, which borders your lands, and in Mount Zion from the regions of Persia and Midian, from which they had been driven away; while the remainder of the land will belong to the Chaldeans, those who have utterly laid you waste due to their evil actions.
Even now, the Jews anticipate the fulfillment of this prophecy, and in the interpretation we have shared, those among them who reason more wisely say: "In that day, when Christ rebuilds Jerusalem's fortifications, the scriptures of the Law and the Prophets, currently in our possession as Christians, will be taken from us and given to Judah." Yet, what the Seventy have spoken, "The day of the hewn brick is your defeat," refers not only to Jerusalem but to Babylon as well, which will also face destruction and humiliation. This day will abolish not God’s laws but those imposed by Babylon that stand opposed to God's law. "Your cities will meet their end" refers to the division occurring during the Assyrians' assault (since Babylon is Chaldean, not Assyrian), and your strongholds will become the spoils of the enemy's forces extending from Tyre to the Tigris, encircling you, and from the Great Sea to the Black Sea, bordering your territory leading eastward; from mountain to mountain, from the heights of Judah to those of Persia and Midian: all the vast expanse of Mesopotamia, precisely all that is in your dominion, will fall under the enemy's sovereignty, leading to desolation due to the vile outcomes of your actions.
Where the Seventy have translated: from Tyre, the Hebrew reads masor. If dissected into "ma" and "sor," it indicates "from Tyre." If it stands as one term, it signifies "fortification." Ultimately, other interpreters have rendered it as a "fortress," or "the enclosure of a walled city," rather than interpreting it as "from Tyre." This aligns with the Hebrew text and is a clear presentation of the unhidden yearnings of carnal Israel and a people destined for decline.
Let us now delve into a spiritual interpretation, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit concerning the challenging sections of scripture. Jerusalem represents every soul where the temple of God and the understanding of the world and the Holy Scriptures were established; later, it was overtaken by sin, carried into captivity, and subjected to affliction. It speaks against Babylon: "Do not exult over me, O adversary, for though I have stumbled, I will rise again, because the Lord heals the brokenhearted" (Ps. 144:14), as declared by the prophet: "Will not he that falls rise again?" (Jer. 8:4) and "I do not desire the death of the wicked, but that they should turn and live" (Ezek. 33:11). If you look upon me with scorn, or despair for my suffering, remember through the prophet Ezekiel that chastisement is meant first for the saints, for it is stated, "Begin from my saints" (Ezek. 9:6); though I walk in darkness, the Lord is my light. Even if the rulers of darkness attempt to ensnare me in shadow and despair, a light has dawned for those dwelling in darkness (Is. 9:2), and "The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear?" (Ps. 26:1). I aim to turn to Him exclaiming, "Your word, O Lord, is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps. 118:105). He commands me, captured in this age of darkness, "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning" (Luke 12:35).
Thus, I will endure the Lord's wrath, for I have sinned against Him, until He judges my plight, executing justice and bringing me into the light where I will witness His justification. Initially, all discipline seems unpleasant, but it ultimately yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those trained by it. A soul aware of its sin and burdened by its struggles, trapped in a mortal frame, continually appeals to the physician: "Burn my flesh, excise my wounds, cleanse away harmful fluids and distress using a potent remedy." My afflictions result from my sins, so this painful process must serve as a passage to healing. The true physician, for the sake of recovery, demonstrates the rationale behind the remedy applied, showing it was just and necessary. In the end, after suffering and enduring punishment, the soul released from the depths of darkness, having paid the final price (Matt. 5:26), declares, "I will see His righteousness" and proclaims, "Your judgments, O God, have been fulfilled."
If Christ has been made unto us by God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30), then a person who claims that after experiencing God's wrath they perceive justification is preparing themselves to gaze upon Christ. However, this is a reality only for the repentant. It is far better not to bear wounds and to require no healing. Healing is not a blissful state but merely relief following affliction. Therefore, the healed must be cautious not to sin again, lest they suffer worse consequences. In Leviticus, we read (Lev. 13:24, 25), "If we observe with clarity, understanding that leprosy often emerges from a burn or injury, altering the skin's appearance, compounding new impurities atop prior afflictions." I state this so that anyone disinterested in repenting—thinking, "I will bear the Lord's anger for my sins until He judges my situation"—may not fall into sin again and consequently require healing, thus escaping the cycle of suffering.
Yet, when God brings us into the light and we behold His truth, our enemy Babylon shall witness this too, and he who had previously mocked, "Where is your God?" will be enveloped in shame, for he thought that Jerusalem, marred by its afflictions, could not be restored. Since every chastisement ultimately leads to goodness, suffering will precede healing, with adversity becoming the foundation of growth and redemption. On that day, old misconceptions will be cast away, and the poorly fortified cities shall face their demise or division. Additionally, new strengths will rise from Tyre, symbolizing consolation, launching sieges against those indulging in worldly pleasures and desires. From sea to sea, from mountain to mountain, conflicts will erupt, with sorrow emerging against sorrow, pride confronting pride, ultimately fulfilling the words, "Come, let us go down and confuse their language, so they will not understand each other" (Gen. 11:7)—for it is better for the ungodly powers to be discordant among themselves. When Satan rises against Satan, then that kingdom will fall (Matt. 12:26). This pattern, often observed in large forces—whereupon the demise of a tyrant, his armies fracture into conflict—will similarly occur at the world's end when Jerusalem's protections are restored. Babylon will succumb, and all demonic forces, from river to sea and mountain, shall engage in their own strife. Following the disintegration of their kingdom, the Lord Jesus' reign will commence, and every knee will bow before Him, in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth, with every nation confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10, 11). Thus, you may understand that the conclusion of this siege will yield great benefit for the righteous, as Babylon will lie in utter ruin alongside all its inhabitants, ceasing to produce the fruits it once bore.
THEOSIS